What do you think?
Rate this book
Editor Missing: The Media in Today's India
This is a time when the space for free speech is shrinking in India, along with a growing intolerance of contrarian views. The right to dissent, which should be the bedrock of any democracy, is seriously endangered. There is widespread belief that we are in an undeclared emergency. Not everyone agrees with this, though, and the jury is out on the state of play in the world's largest democracy. As charges and countercharges fly, with no unanimity in sight, India's national discourse, particularly its news media, is becoming increasingly divided and polarized.
In Editor Missing, veteran journalist Ruben Banerjee attempts to provide clarity on the state of Indian media at a time when there is consensus only on the lack of it. The media mirrors society, and Banerjee is best placed to tell its contested story in contemporary India. As a top editor for various publications, he has had a ringside view for years of the decline in its standards, quality and objectivity. His own experiences reflect the time we live in. The book provides rare insights into the minefield that an editor today runs into - from pressures that are exerted to the risks of upsetting the powers that be. At the end of it, the reader is left with a chilling realization that defending the truth can come at a huge personal cost in present-day India.
In Editor Missing, veteran journalist Ruben Banerjee attempts to provide clarity on the state of Indian media at a time when there is consensus only on the lack of it. The media mirrors society, and Banerjee is best placed to tell its contested story in contemporary India. As a top editor for various publications, he has had a ringside view for years of the decline in its standards, quality and objectivity. His own experiences reflect the time we live in. The book provides rare insights into the minefield that an editor today runs into - from pressures that are exerted to the risks of upsetting the powers that be. At the end of it, the reader is left with a chilling realization that defending the truth can come at a huge personal cost in present-day India.
- GenresNonfiction
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 16, 2022
11 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 14, 2022
This is a book that must be read by all right-thinking (no capital 'R' there at all) people of this bleeding country.
Essentially, for me, being a layman citizen, it was confirmation of suspicions I have had for some time now. The media is riddled with partisanship, polarization, toeing the line, dancing to the tunes of the masters, etc., etc. And when you displease them, well, heads must roll. If you keep your ears to the ground, eyes peeled, you'd have noticed certainly how publications seem to morph, regular columnists dropped (and the columnists pursued by the foot soldiers of the powers that be), slant in the reporting, and so on. Cannot be missed.
Ruben Banerjee's book is a partial memoir--and I wish him more heights to climb in his career ahead--summing up his early years as a reporter and then the real meat of the story, his Outlook stint. Quite detailed, with quoted mails and texts, the story stands to indict the system and its systemic destruction in progress. He is candid, his thoughts and feelings laid bare, and the reader will certainly be able to form a reasonably complete picture of his tenure there. Substantiating his side of the story, to quote his own journalistic practices, would require knowing--reading, perhaps some other memoirs--what the other actors in the saga have to say about the happenings. That would complete the picture. And the reader can evaluate which side is more trustworthy. I know where I stand, and yes, without reading or knowing the other sides.
Sure, you may have a difference of opinion with Ruben's beliefs and practices concerning journalism--like providing the other side a platform to air their side (there is an explicit side-story stemming from this in the book)--but I feel his approach is better overall. Blanking out views, any views, isn't quite the essence of democracy in practice. There are strong arguments against this approach, true--who would like to give a terrorist a page to pontificate?--and like in most cases, there has to be subjective decisions taken at every such instance.
This is a book that must be read, I say again. Many things concerning the media that you may have suspected will be found substantiated.
As an aside, I must say I was pleased to bits reading Ruben's years in Orissa (I still spell it that way, like it was earlier) for I spent many years there growing up, completing schooling and a period of further studies. The language, the people there, the very places... drew me on with much nostalgia and love.
Strong recommendation.
Essentially, for me, being a layman citizen, it was confirmation of suspicions I have had for some time now. The media is riddled with partisanship, polarization, toeing the line, dancing to the tunes of the masters, etc., etc. And when you displease them, well, heads must roll. If you keep your ears to the ground, eyes peeled, you'd have noticed certainly how publications seem to morph, regular columnists dropped (and the columnists pursued by the foot soldiers of the powers that be), slant in the reporting, and so on. Cannot be missed.
Ruben Banerjee's book is a partial memoir--and I wish him more heights to climb in his career ahead--summing up his early years as a reporter and then the real meat of the story, his Outlook stint. Quite detailed, with quoted mails and texts, the story stands to indict the system and its systemic destruction in progress. He is candid, his thoughts and feelings laid bare, and the reader will certainly be able to form a reasonably complete picture of his tenure there. Substantiating his side of the story, to quote his own journalistic practices, would require knowing--reading, perhaps some other memoirs--what the other actors in the saga have to say about the happenings. That would complete the picture. And the reader can evaluate which side is more trustworthy. I know where I stand, and yes, without reading or knowing the other sides.
Sure, you may have a difference of opinion with Ruben's beliefs and practices concerning journalism--like providing the other side a platform to air their side (there is an explicit side-story stemming from this in the book)--but I feel his approach is better overall. Blanking out views, any views, isn't quite the essence of democracy in practice. There are strong arguments against this approach, true--who would like to give a terrorist a page to pontificate?--and like in most cases, there has to be subjective decisions taken at every such instance.
This is a book that must be read, I say again. Many things concerning the media that you may have suspected will be found substantiated.
As an aside, I must say I was pleased to bits reading Ruben's years in Orissa (I still spell it that way, like it was earlier) for I spent many years there growing up, completing schooling and a period of further studies. The language, the people there, the very places... drew me on with much nostalgia and love.
Strong recommendation.
May 29, 2022
If you're a Indian news media insider then there aren't too many groundbreaking insights on offer. Nevertheless, the book does serve as an easy-to-read memoir & Ruben Banerjee always comes across as someone trying to do the right thing (even when my personal convictions didn't match his) while helming one of India's most prestigious news magazines.
A solid 3 & a half stars. Perhaps someone alien to the news industry & its machinations would end up giving a higher rating. Recommended reading in these times of polarised views.
A solid 3 & a half stars. Perhaps someone alien to the news industry & its machinations would end up giving a higher rating. Recommended reading in these times of polarised views.
June 4, 2022
The author has smartly used his fifteen minutes of fame to capitalise on his sacking from the Outlook group to write a semi-memoir on the state of Indian media today. While it is true that the Indian media is hopelessly polarised, centrist editors like Ruben also add fuel to the fire by giving platform to venom in the name of objectivity. The brand of journalism which Ruben practises can be summed up as follows : Godse should also be given a platform to voice his rationale on why he killed M.K.Gandhi as after all,isn't that objectivity ?
Instead of being cynical, Ruben can open his eyes to see a vista of alternate journalism avenues like Caravan, Scroll, Wire etc but unfortunately, in the exalted altar of Ruben's judgement, Siddharth Varadarajan is as polarising as Arnab Goswami. Crookedness of bad people is tough to handle but the stupidity of good people is even tougher. Ruben falls in the second category.
Instead of being cynical, Ruben can open his eyes to see a vista of alternate journalism avenues like Caravan, Scroll, Wire etc but unfortunately, in the exalted altar of Ruben's judgement, Siddharth Varadarajan is as polarising as Arnab Goswami. Crookedness of bad people is tough to handle but the stupidity of good people is even tougher. Ruben falls in the second category.
October 3, 2022
Simply brilliant.
September 19, 2022
“Defending truth can exact unintended costs, and the behind-the-scene story of our ‘Missing’ cover serves as an eloquent testimony of it,”
Reading about the conflicts happened in India and how the media portrayed it for the society, it is intriguing and made me realize how powerful media is these days. But everything comes with the price. Bringing out the real truth, even when their own life is on stake. Truth comes with a huge cost in today's time. And defending that truth can be even more difficult.
Author's own experience as in the book suggest reflects the time we live in. And trust me this book gave me chills.
Reading about the conflicts happened in India and how the media portrayed it for the society, it is intriguing and made me realize how powerful media is these days. But everything comes with the price. Bringing out the real truth, even when their own life is on stake. Truth comes with a huge cost in today's time. And defending that truth can be even more difficult.
Author's own experience as in the book suggest reflects the time we live in. And trust me this book gave me chills.
Read
November 10, 2023Completed reading #Editor_Missing by @Rubenbanerjee.
A must read book for those who think what is being parroted in newspapers and news channels these days is sacrosanct!
A must read to understand the difference between "Media" and "Godi Media"
A great piece of work Mr. Editor
A must read book for those who think what is being parroted in newspapers and news channels these days is sacrosanct!
A must read to understand the difference between "Media" and "Godi Media"
A great piece of work Mr. Editor
October 31, 2023
A must read book
December 22, 2023
It was diary of a scaredy cat editor
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews